Open: Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
What is Neuropathy? Neuropathy is a general term that refers to any disease or disorder of the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system consists of all parts of your body outside your brain and spinal cord, including nerves and muscles.

What is Neuropathy?

Neuropathy is a general term that refers to any disease or disorder of the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system consists of all parts of your body outside your brain and spinal cord, including nerves and muscles.

The most common type of neuropathy is diabetic neuropathy (also called diabetic amyotrophy), which affects up to 50% of people with diabetes. Other types include:

  • Peripheral nerve compression syndrome (PNCS) – This occurs when one or more nerves are compressed by surrounding structures, such as bones or muscles; it can occur anywhere along the length of a nerve but most often affects the lower limbs
  • Polyneuropathies – Multiple nerves are affected at once due to an underlying disease process such as infection, inflammation or cancer

Symptoms of Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a condition that causes pain and numbness in the hands and feet. It can also cause loss of balance, coordination, muscle weakness, muscle twitching and loss of reflexes.
The symptoms of neuropathy vary depending on what type you have:

  • Peripheral neuropathy (PN): This affects nerves outside your brain and spinal cord. It’s usually caused by diabetes or other conditions that damage blood vessels–and it can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes like losing weight or exercising more often.
  • Autonomic neuropathy (AN): This affects nerves within your spinal cord but not those in your brain; it may affect how well you sweat or control blood pressure levels among other things. There isn’t much research on how to treat this kind yet but some doctors recommend certain medications such as antidepressants because they seem to improve AN symptoms in some people who take them regularly

Diagnosis of Neuropathy

  • Physical Exam: The doctor will perform a physical exam to check for signs of neuropathy. He or she will look at the feet and legs for signs of skin changes, such as dryness and color changes (pallor). The doctor may also check for swelling, muscle wasting, and loss of hair.
  • Nerve Conduction Test: This test measures how well your nerves conduct electrical impulses from your brain to muscles throughout your body. It’s done by placing electrodes on different parts of your body (such as arms or legs) while you’re sitting still or lying down on a table with wires connected to an electrocardiogram machine that records the electrical activity generated by nerve fibers when stimulated by small amounts of electric current passed through them.
  • Electromyography: This test measures how well individual muscles work by recording their electrical activity during contraction while they are being monitored under anesthesia so there is no voluntary movement present during testing procedures which helps eliminate false positives caused by voluntary movements interfering with results obtained during this type of procedure performed before surgery scheduled later today afternoon following lunch break where we’ll discuss options available regarding treatment options available today ranging anywhere between surgery tomorrow morning followed immediately afterward by chemotherapy treatments–which means starting treatment right away instead waiting until next week Tuesday afternoon at 3 pm sharp so plan accordingly!

Treatment for Neuropathy

There are several methods of treatment for neuropathy. Medications, physical therapy and surgery are common forms of treatment that can help reduce pain and improve quality of life. Alternative therapies such as acupuncture or massage may also be beneficial in some instances. Lifestyle changes can also play an important role in treating neuropathy by reducing stress on the nerves and preventing further damage from occurring.

Prevention of Neuropathy

There are several steps you can take to prevent neuropathy.

  • Manage your health conditions: If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or other conditions that can cause peripheral neuropathy, work with your doctor to manage them effectively. For example, if you have diabetes and high blood sugar levels are causing nerve damage in your feet, then controlling these levels will help prevent further damage from occurring.
  • Avoid injuries: Avoiding injuries is another way of preventing peripheral neuropathy because any type of trauma can cause damage to nerves in the body when they’re stretched or compressed beyond their normal range of motion–which is why sprains and strains are so painful! To protect yourself against sprains and strains while exercising (or doing anything else), wear proper footwear that fits well but isn’t too tight on the feet; also remember not do lift heavy objects without assistance from someone else nearby who can help out if something goes wrong!

Living with Neuropathy

  • Manage Symptoms
    If you have neuropathy, it’s important to stay active and keep your mind engaged. This can help reduce the pain of neuropathy and prevent depression. You may also want to try relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga.
  • Find Support
    It can be difficult living with a chronic condition like neuropathy, so it’s important to find support from family members and friends who understand what you’re going through–or even just someone who can listen when things get tough!

Neuropathy and Mental Health

Neuropathy can cause depression and anxiety, which can then lead to stress. Stress is a major cause of neuropathy, and it can also exacerbate existing symptoms.
To cope with these emotions and feelings of stress, you may need to make some changes in your life or seek professional help. If you have depression or anxiety that’s caused by your neuropathy (or vice versa), it’s important to get treatment for both conditions so they don’t feed off each other in an unhealthy way.

Neuropathy and Nutrition

Neuropathy is a complex condition that can affect your body in many ways. One of the most common symptoms of neuropathy is numbness, tingling and pain in your feet or hands. These symptoms are often caused by nutrient deficiencies, which can be easily corrected with proper nutrition and supplementation.
If you have been diagnosed with neuropathy or if you suspect that you might be suffering from it, consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet or taking supplements. While some people find relief from certain foods or nutrients (such as magnesium), others may experience adverse reactions from certain foods or supplements that could worsen their symptoms instead of helping them get better

Neuropathy and Physical Activity

Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but it’s important to know the risks and benefits of exercise for people with neuropathy.
Physical activity can help improve your symptoms, such as muscle weakness and fatigue. It can also help manage stress and improve overall mood by releasing endorphins into the body, which are chemicals that make you feel good when they’re released into your bloodstream.
However, physical activity can cause pain or discomfort in some people with neuropathy due to nerve damage affecting their muscles or joints. This may make certain movements painful or impossible without proper support equipment like braces or splints (which are worn over clothing).

Conclusion

Neuropathy is a complex condition, but it’s also one that can be managed. If you have neuropathy, make sure to talk with your doctor about treatment options. Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes and medications that can help reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

If you are interested in learning more about the causes of neuropathy and how it affects the body, check out this article from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(18)31424-9/fulltext

Recent Articles

Dr. Elton Powell

Dr. Powell graduated from the University of West Florida receiving a Bachelors of Science degree in Exercise Science.

I always had a passion to help people live a healthy and happy lifestyle. In May of 2015, I opened Dynamic Medical Center in Tallahassee, Florida.

One of my key components is to strive to provide safe, gentle, and effective treatments by utilizing the latest technology chiropractic has to offer.